thicken

verb

Definition of thickennext
as in to stiffen

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of thicken Cook, stirring occasionally, until just starting to thicken, about 2 minutes. — Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 17 Sep. 2026 Regional rivalries like the Border Showdown and Cy-Hawk Series thicken the air, too. — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026 After cooking for 10–15 minutes, add flour to thicken the mixture, and pour in the chicken stock, cream, and seasonings. — Claire Hoppe Norgaard, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Sep. 2026 The cells thicken a patient’s blood, putting them at higher risk for life-threatening heart attacks, strokes, and blood clots. — Jason Mast, STAT, 31 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for thicken
Recent Examples of Synonyms for thicken
  1. stiffen
  2. condense
  3. harden
  4. freeze
  5. solidify
  6. curdle
  7. cake
Verb
  • But one of the positives Glenn highlighted was the defense stiffening in the red zone against Chicago, which went 2 of 7 inside the New York 20-yard line.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Avoiding harsh chemicals like bleach, fabric softeners, and the like will help keep your robe soft and absorbent as these formulas could break down the fabric, leave behind fabric-stiffening residue, or cause pilling and other concerns.
    — Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 26 Sep. 2026
Definition of stiffen
Verb
  • Headway condenses nonfiction and fiction books into 15-minute summaries that make key ideas easier to fit into your schedule.
    — StackCommerce Team, PC Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Under their proposal, the intervening day before a vote to break a filibuster would be eliminated and debate time condensed, removing dead time from the Senate floor.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of condense
Verb
  • As cleanliness standards harden, so does a guest’s leverage when something’s visibly wrong.
    — Ashley Lynch, Kansas City Star, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Now the companies that recover fastest treat a short, honest, imperfect first statement as more valuable than a polished one that arrives after the narrative has already hardened.
    — Ronn Torossian, Forbes.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of harden
Verb
  • Two Utah residents who hiked Mount Shasta in Northern California were rescued after they became stranded during a perilous 36-hour journey through freezing conditions.
    — Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026
  • In winter, some wetlands become more accessible as thick, spongelike layers of organic-rich peat freeze solid and become strong enough to support snow machines on their icy surfaces.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of freeze
Verb
  • The Lakers, who wanted to solidify their backup center position behind Walker Kessler, have only three second-round draft picks (2031, 2032 and 2033) available to trade.
    — Broderick Turner, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
  • The Birkin bag solidified Birkin’s place in fashion history, but her name would never entirely belong to her again.
    — Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of solidify
Verb
  • These high-acidity juices can cause whey protein powder to coagulate and curdle.
    — Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 2 Oct. 2026
  • But Buddy, the feature debut of Casper Kelly, lets the genre’s relentlessly upbeat tone slowly curdle in the opening sequence, in which one of the kids refuses to play along with day’s lesson about being brave and trying new things.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of curdle
Verb
  • Holden’s vignettes are caked in grime and emerge at a reckless pace.
    — Matthew Ritchie, Pitchfork, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The army has published footage of rescues via helicopter, and of people being pulled out of the hydropower tunnels, completely caked in mud.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of cake

Browse Nearby Words

thick
thicken
thickened
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Cite this Entry

“Thicken.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/thicken. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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